My Sweet Magnolia
by TorketteMonkette
Summary: Everyone's read one of those cute stories where your favorite band of characters get a baby dumped on their doorstep, right? Well, congratulations, you've found another. Peter wakes up from his nap to find a basket left at the front door. The Monkees now have a sweet baby girl in their care, but will they be able to manage?
1. Sweet Magnolia

**A/N): So everyone's read a story where someone gets a bab****y dropped on their doorstep, right? I decided, 'Why not with the**** Monkees?' and this was born.  
>Hope you enjoy what I have so far. I have been working on it a little more lately, so you should have updates sooner or later.<strong>

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><p>The loud 'ding-dong' of the doorbell made the napping bassist jerk awake. He accidentally flung his stuffed tiger onto the floor while scrambling off of the couch. He wrapped his blanket around his shoulders -since it was a breezy November day- and headed to the door.<br>"Who is it?" he called.  
>No reply.<br>"Funny." he whispered as he looked out the peep-hole, "Nobody there."

Mike, their respected 'leader', had trusted Peter with the responsibility of staying home while he and the others were out looking for a gig.  
>Peter cautiously cracked the door open and looked around.<br>"Must be some of those pesky neighborhood kids." the blond chuckled nervously.  
>He took another quick glance before closing the front door when he spotted a small woven basket on the doorstep. Much to Peter's surprise, a small, pastel green blanket in the basket was moving.<br>He carefully pulled a corner of the blanket to reveal a tuft of blond hair. A baby. And it only looked a few weeks old.

Peter looked around frantically, searching for the baby's mother or anyone who might have seen what had happened.  
>"Well, I shouldn't leave you out here in the cold." Peter shivered as he whispered to the sleeping baby when there was no one to be found.<br>Carefully picking up the basket, Peter whispered to the baby comfortingly as he kicked the door shut with his foot and put the basket on the coffee table  
>A piece of paper was in the basket beside the baby, so Peter picked it up to read it.<p>

_'Dear Ma'am,  
>I'm not ready. I never was.<br>Please take care of my sweet Magnolia.'_

"Magnolia?" Peter whispered and looked at the baby.  
>He was still studying the paper when the front door flew open. The band's drummer pranced in beaming, with his chin held high.<br>"Guess what, Peter, we got the gig!" he exclaimed excitedly, but noticing the paper in his friend's hand and the slight frown on his face, he asked, "Hey, Big Peter, what's that?"  
>Micky snatched the paper from the bassist's hands and read over the words. Davy headed straight to the mirror, ignoring what Peter and Micky were doing.<br>"'Ma'am'...?" he looked at Peter with a puzzled expression. Peter shrugged, "They probably got the wrong house."  
>Davy, who was currently primping at the mirror, walked over and read the paper too.<br>"What does that mean, Peter?" Davy gave him the same look, "Writing some tragic novel?"  
>Mike walked in with a content smile upon his face that soon faded to the same expression Micky and Davy had, "Why're you two looking at him like that?"<br>That's when a soft cry came from the basket.  
>"What in the world was that?" Mike cried, placing his hands on his hips.<br>Peter carefully reached into the basket and pulled the blue-eyed, blond haired, baby girl out of the basket. He gently cradled her in his arms and said, "She was left on the doorstep."  
>Davy handed Mike the paper, now realizing what it meant and stared at the baby and Peter.<br>"What do you mean it was left on the doorstep?" Micky asked as Mike's eyes scanned the paper.  
>"She. She's a girl. Not an it." Peter said.<br>"Did you see anyone around when you opened the door?" Davy asked.  
>"No," Peter replied, shaking his head, "There wasn't anyone there."<br>Mike took the baby from his friend and studied her soft features. "She's pretty though."  
>He stroked her cheek and read over the note, over and over again, as if it would give him the identity of the mother and where Sweet Magnolia came from.<br>"What are we going to do with you...?" he breathed -more to himself than to the baby.

The four decided that they had to get rid of her. Wait, that sounds a bit cruel...let's go with 'find her a better home' -that sounds like they're talking about an animal. 'Find a family that could take better care of her'? ...No. But you understand?

They clustered at their next door neighbor's front door with Mike at the front while Peter held Magnolia in her basket -as well as the letter.  
>"Hello, Mrs. Homer, sorry to bother you-"<br>"That's alright, boys." the old lady smiled. Mike continued.

"Um..I don't know how to put this..." he hesitated but then spit it out, "Earlier this afternoon while Micky, Davy and I were out somebody came and dropped a basket on our doorstep."  
>"Where was Peter?" she asked.<br>"He was in..." Mike explained as he waved his arms at his sides. She nodded with an, "Oh.."  
>"And in the basket was a-a baby." Mike stammered. Peter came forward with the basket and showed their beloved neighbor, Mrs. Homer, the baby.<p>

"We don't know whose it is and we don't know what t-to do."

Mrs. Homer studied the boys and then began to laugh, "Oh, Mike. I never knew you were so funny!" she chuckled, "Thank you, I needed a bit of cheering up today. You have a cute baby sister there, Peter."

Mike half smiled -glad that he could help his elderly neighbor- but was confused as to why she was laughing. He was serious!  
>"I'll see you boys later." she smiled kindly and waved as she closed the door.<br>Mike sighed and looked at the others, "It looks like we're on our own with this one..."


	2. Caring for Magnolia

**A/N): Just a short filler chapter. Something to get things movin' alon****g, you see.  
>Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention this in my previous chapter (and stories) -<em>I DON'T OWN THE MONKEES OR ANY RIGHTS TO THEM AND THEIR STUFF. IT ALL BELONGS TO THEIR RESPECTED OWNERS. THIS IS CALLED FANFICTION<em>** _**FOR A REASON!**_

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><p>Mike decided that he and Micky would go shopping for baby supplies while Davy and Peter watched Magnolia.<br>"How bad can it be, aye?" Davy said to Mike before he left. How bad could it be? Very bad.  
>A while after the Monkeemobile was out of sight Magnolia began wailing.<br>"Make it stop!" Peter yelled.  
>"I don't know how!" Davy yelled back.<br>"Maybe she's hungry."  
>"That's why Mike and Micky are gone. To get stuff, remember?"<br>"Oh, yeah."  
>"Shh! It's alright, Maggie, you're fine." Davy rocked her back and forth, muttering softly to her. "Davy's got you..."<p>

Her wails finally ceased when Mike took her into his arms when they got home.  
>"We got all we could with the money we do have." Micky said to no one in particular, while examining the directions on the container of formula.<p>

Mike nodded, "We'll have to stretch extra thin this week."

Davy and Micky put their heads together to finally pop the bottle in Maggie's mouth, which she drank from greedily.  
>"She's just like Micky in the eating department." Davy chuckled.<br>"I think we better let her sleep now." Peter suggested when the bottle was emptied.  
>"No, I think we burp her first." Mike said.<br>"And how do we do that?" Micky knew how to burp himself', not a baby, and he was sure it wasn't the same.  
>"Well, uh." Mike awkwardly handled her, laying her stomach-down on his chest and patting her back.<br>"That's how it's done." he smirked triumphantly when a small burp escaped Maggie's mouth.

Mike continued to pat her back and rocked back and forth slowly, softly singing 'Papa Gene's Blues' to her.  
>"She's asleep now." Davy whispered.<br>"Thank goodness!" Micky breathed.  
>Mike smirked at his slightly dramatic friends and placed Magnolia into her basket.<br>"We might not need any help after all!" Peter grinned hopefully, raising everyone's spirits about the matter as he did.

After Maggie was sleeping peacefully, someone came knock-knockin' on the Monkees' door. Micky got up from his game of cards with Mr. Schneider and the other guys to get the door.  
>"Who is it?" Peter asked as Micky looked through the peep-hole.<br>"It's not the girl scouts." Micky smirked. He took a deep breath, pulled a smile onto his face and opened the door. "Afternoon, Mr. Babbitt!"  
>"Afternoon, boys." Babbitt seemed in high spirits today.<br>"Have we missed our rent again?" Davy held a genuinely concerned look and looked over at Mike.  
>"Oh no, that's due in a few weeks. Don't forget that!" his voice was stern, then returned to the unusual care-free tone, "I just wanted to wish you four a Happy Thanksgiving."<p>

"Oh, thanks, Mr. Babbitt. You too." Mike smiled at him as he walked over to an awakened baby Magnolia.

"You've taken up a babysitting job, aye?" he asked as he spied the cooing, gurgling baby.

"Uh, yeah!"

"Yep!

"She's Mike's cousin's, uh, daughter." Micky lied, nervousness laced every word, "She needed someone to watch Magnolia for a few, uh, days."

Mr. Babbitt nodded, and smiled at them, saying that it was very kind of them to watch her.  
>He walked -almost skipped- away and Micky closed the door with a confused (almost disgusted,) expression.<br>"That was….strange." Peter muttered.  
>"Even for Mr. Babbit." Micky added.<br>"I bet he has company over." Davy grinned. The other three Monkees nodded their heads in agreement. 

The four friends tried their hardest to practice for their gig quietly later that week, but Magnolia wouldn't stop screaming. Even after they stopped practicing, she just kept on.  
>Peter tried to give her a bottle and Micky tried to put the pacifier in her mouth, but instead she just moved her head out of the way.<br>Davy sang to her, Mike rocked her, but nothing seemed to be working. Until Peter pointed something out, that is.  
>"Uh, Mike." he said, "I think she needs a change."<br>Mike managed to speak after a few seconds of silence, "Well..."  
>Micky, Peter and Davy froze, they knew Mike was going to pick one of them to be in charge of the job.<br>Mike decided quickly, "Micky and Davy, you two change her."  
>"What? Why me?" Micky gasped. "You've done it all the other times."<br>"Just do it."  
>Micky and Davy exchanged glances and put on brave faces.<br>"It'll be over before you know it." Davy murmured to himself.

Mike walked off to leave the two to the job and sat at the table in the kitchen.  
>He sighed and covered his face with his hands since Magnolia hadn't stopped her wails yet.<br>"What about that stuff?" he heard Micky say.  
>"Ah, yeah, the baby powder." Davy replied. "You do it."<br>"No, you do it!"  
>"You do it!" Davy argued, "You're older."<br>"I don't know how!"  
>"Some sort of fatherly instincts should be kicking in, man."<br>"AHH!" Micky yelled.  
>Mike slowly turned his head, trying to guess what had happened before he saw it. But as soon as he spotted the scene before him, he laughed.<br>Micky and Davy were covered in baby powder, while Magnolia was completely untouched by it.  
>"I don't see how babies stand this stuff." Davy tugged on his shirt, letting some powder fall to the floor.<br>Micky spat the powder from his mouth, "That doesn't taste too good..."  
>"Just look at it this way, you won't be getting any rashes for a while." Peter smiled.<br>Mike waved them away, telling them to go wash off, and he finished the job.  
>"They're silly, aren't they Maggie?" Mike cooed to the baby. She smiled at him and tugged at the hair tucked behind his ear.<br>"Aw, c'mon Maggie." he laughed "This isn't your color -and besides, you've got enough on your head as it is."


	3. Finding A BabySitter

Weeks flew by quickly and The Monkees always managed to somehow get by and find someone to baby-sit Maggie for them when they played gigs, though they never got by without a struggle.  
>Sometimes Davy's newest girlfriend would baby-sit or sometimes their neighbors, Mrs. Homer and Mrs. Filchok.<br>Christmas was right around the corner -a week away!- and the same good ol' Christmas spirit was with everyone again.

The Monkees just got back from getting a job at a new club in town that was rumored to be very hard to get a gig at and paid well. It was called _'Be-Bop-A-Lulu's'_, owned by a man and his daughter, Lulu.  
>They were going to be paid 25 dollars each and everyone was excited.<p>

.oOo.

"Boy, that's a hundred dollars total!" Micky exclaimed excitedly after doing the simple math in his head.

"I'll have some money left over after Christmas shopping." Peter grinned.

"I'm scared of what he might get this time!" Micky whispered to Davy. The two friends looked off to the distance and remembered Christmases past fearfully.

Mike paid the three no attention for a moment as he thought about what they were going to do with Maggie.  
>Mrs. Homer was going to visit her grandkids in Arizona, Mrs. Filchok was going to be very busy with her own Christmas traditions, and they were sure Mr. Swezey wouldn't be up for the job. And who knows if Davy would have a girlfriend right when they needed her?<br>With their luck, Davy and the chick would break up and they'd be without a baby-sitter.

"Mike..."

"Mi-ike?"

"What?" he shook out of his thoughts and looked up at his friends and fellow band-mates.

"What was that look for?" Davy asked. Mike shrugged, "I was thinking...thinking about what we're going to do with Maggie while we're at the gig."

"Mrs. Homer could-" Peter started, but Micky cut him off.

"She's going to Arizona, remember?"

"Oh yeah..."

"What about Mrs. Filchok?" Peter raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"She's too busy." Davy shrugged, making Peter sigh, "Oh..."

"What about Mr. Babbitt?" Micky suggested. Mike shook his head, "I don't think that'd be a good idea."

"Yeah." Davy nodded, "He might not want to, anyway."

Micky shrugged. They were all in deep thought now.

Micky headed over to Mr. Schneider and asked him what to do and pulled his string.

"By diligence and patience, the mouse bit in two the cable." Mr. Schneider replied, staring blankly ahead. He _was_ a dummy, but a wise dummy after all.

"I don't see how that's supposed to help." Davy murmured, resting his chin in his hand. Micky shrugged and leaned against the staircase where Davy was sitting.

"Maybe we could look in the paper or put up ads in town to find someone?" Peter suggested. Micky and Davy shook their heads, "No Pe-"

"Actually those aren't bad ideas!" Micky ran and grabbed the newspaper. Peter smiled triumphantly while playing with a cooing baby girl in his lap.  
>Micky searched the newspaper, flipping through the pages, while muttering what he was reading.<p>

"Aha!" Micky exclaimed after a while, causing everyone to jump, "Here's one! Her name is Ruthie Wilkes... 'Good, reliable baby-sitter; Tons of experience with children; 1.50 an hour.' and it has her number and address. Sounds good...?"  
>Everyone nodded, but then Micky frowned and corrected himself.<p>

"This is a, uh, old paper." he chuckled nervously and threw it aside. His three long-haired friends looked at him, expecting for him to say from when.

"-from last year."

"Oh..."

"Great..."

Peter wrinkled his nose in annoyance, Davy covered his face with his hands, but Mike took charge -as usual.

"Let's go see if this Ms. Wilkes will take the job."

"But this is from last year!" Micky exclaimed. Mike shrugged, "It never hurts to try and see."  
>Davy, Peter and Micky acted like they were thinking this over, then nodded with smiles across their faces.<br>With that, they all piled into the Monkeemobile with Maggie safe in Mike's arms.

.oOo.

They turned onto West Greenbriar Drive and drove down the road slowly so they could see the house numbered _443_.  
>All the houses looked the same. Two story, white sliding and dark blue shutter and doors, a nice sized front porch and front lawns, about two or three trees per yard...It seemed like a nice enough neighborhood.<p>

Davy spotted the house and Mike parked on the side of the road in front of the house. They all piled out of the car, Maggie again in Mike's arms, and headed to the front door.  
>With Magnolia in Mike's arms, Micky rang the doorbell and stepped back from the door.<br>It soon opened and there stood an older woman -probably in her late twenties to early thirties- with short brown hair, wearing a nice white and blue checkered dress.

"Yes?" she half smiled at the four long-haired musicians.

"Are you Ms. Ruthie Wilkes?" Micky asked.

"Yeah, why?" she eyed him questioningly.

"Uh..." Micky said aloud, as if it would help him think of what to say, when Mike butted in.

"Hey, we're here for your ad in the paper -well, it was from last year but, uh...we were wondering if you could babysit our, uh, my baby cousin?"

The woman, Ms. Wilkes, averted her attention to Mike and spotted Magnolia. "Hmm..."

"We 'ave a job to go to and we can't leave Maggie home by herself -and none of our neighbors are available..." It was now Davy's turn to but in.

"Honest?" she tested. The four nodded in unison.

"Uh..." she acted as if she were trying to remember something, then said, "1.50 an hour..?"

The four nodded again. She smirked and nodded, "You've got yourselves a deal-"

"Hooray!" they began to celebrate, but Ms. Wilkes wasn't done yet...

"IF! I have your phone number and address..." the look on her face signaled that she realized what she said could be taken out of context, then added on, "In case of emergencies and information purposes only."  
>Mike shook her hand in agreement, gave her their phone number and address and that was that. They piled back into their GTO and went back home.<br>Now with a babysitter that they liked -though they didn't try to hard to find one..- they could relax and practice for their string of gigs at _'Be-Bop-A-Lulu's'_.

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><p><strong>AN): You know what guys, I'm sorry. I have to get more organized with writing my stories...but I do have a plan and the next chapters are all planned out, so the next updates shouldn't be too far and few between, alright?**

**And I thank everyone who has reviewed, even if it was just a plead for me to write more. XD It gives me more motivation, knowing that someone is reading and wants more. :D  
>Thanks, guys!<br>**


	4. Secret Christmas Shopping

The Monkees -surprisingly- had money from their previous gigs, plus a little that the owner of _'Be-Bop-A-Lulu's'_ gave to them in advance.  
>So, with the money in their pockets, they decided that they would go Christmas shopping after they practiced a little for the upcoming string of gigs.<p>

"Alright...1, 2 -1, 2, 3, 4..." Mike counted off _'Saturday's Child'_ and the four jammed out their own tune -fantastically, of course.  
>Maggie was -already!- sitting up in her basket, playing with Peter's stuffed tiger, as they played their music. She bounced happily to the tune and smiled at the band.<br>Mike couldn't help but smirk at her, though he continued to play. After they finished playing _'Saturday's Child'_ they went into _'Last Train to Clarksville'_, _'I Wanna Be Free'_, _'Let's Dance On'_, _'Take A Giant Step', 'Sweet Young Thing'_ and, Maggie's favorite, _'Papa Gene's Blues'_.

After all the practicing, the four friends decided to celebrate by pulling out their old Christmas tree from the closet to decorate while listening to Christmas records.  
>Micky coughed and sneezed at the dust going up his nose and in his throat.<p>

"I think we're going to need a new one by next year!" he proclaimed. Davy and Peter nodded in agreement.  
>Maggie sneezed as well, making Micky smirk and Davy pick her up.<p>

"I don't think all this dust is good for her..." Davy said, resting the bouncing blonde baby on his hip -or lack thereof.

"It'll clear up." Micky assured, walking over to Mike who had just brought out a box filled with tinsel. Davy shrugged and pulled Maggie's basket closer to the loveseat -so she wouldn't be in the way- and sat her in it.  
>Peter pulled one of their few Christmas albums from their collection and put it on the player. Soon the music filled the room while they decorated the pad.<p>

Doing so, they began to goof around -they wrapped each other in tinsel, hung ornaments on each other's ears and faces, and during the whole romp Maggie somehow ended up with a Santa Claus hat on her head and a red clown nose covering her nose.

.oOo.

"See ya later, Mike!" Micky, Peter and Davy called as they left out the front door of the pad, leaving Mike to watch Maggie. They were going early Christmas shopping -they also brought some of their dirty clothes to the laundry mat to be washed-; Mike volunteered to watch Maggie and told them that he would go later.

Every year Micky would make a fuss about wanting to know how much his gift was and would go on a quest to find it -either by sneaking around the house late at night, or by bothering Mike whenever he came home from being out somewhere.

But the thing was, Mike was already finished with buying things for the guys. He'd done it earlier in the year when he had a little extra of his own money, while Micky would spend his on gadgets, Davy on girls and Peter spent his on that stuffed tiger and a piggy bank -though after he bought the two things (along with new strings for his bass) he had no money to put in it!

When Mike remembered this he chuckled and shook his head slowly.

After the fellas were gone for a while, Mike decided that he would walk over to the laundry mat a few blocks away and collect the laundry.

He sat Maggie in the wicker basket he was going to carry the laundry home in and with acoustic guitar and basket in hand, he left the pad for the laundry mat.

Since the Monkees were well known in the mat, the owner didn't blink an eye when Mike asked him where Micky, Peter and Davy put their laundry. Instead, she stared at baby Magnolia in confusion as she pointed Mike in the right direction.  
>Mike thanked her with a nod and walked over to the washing machine.<p>

He placed the basket on the floor, put all the wet clothes into the dryer and sat next to the basket in a chair near the dryer.  
>Mike fixed the wool hat on his head and pulled his guitar into his lap and picked at the strings softly, as to not get on anyone's nerves.<p>

He was staring at the strings, immensely concentrated on the sound he was making, when Maggie began to gurgle and coo. He averted his attention to her, smirked at the happy baby and played a couple of kids tunes for her.

After a while of sitting around in the laundry mat the clothes were finally dry and Maggie was asleep in Mike's arms.  
>He walked over to the dryer and tried to plan out he next moves. What was he going to do with Maggie while he put the clothes in the basket...?<br>He furrowed his brow in concentration before he decided on trying to use one arm. Mike figured he could just fold the clothes when he got back home, and piled the warm, clean clothes into the wicker basket.

Then he came across the problem of how he was going to carry Maggie _and _the basket. He smiled when he got an idea; to put Maggie on top of the clothes and let her sleep in it while he walked.  
>He'd just be careful not to drop the basket. That wouldn't end well...<p>

Once Mike and Maggie got home, the rest of the guys weren't back yet, so Mike put the sleeping baby into her basket on one of the chairs and sat on the chair next to her to fold the clothes and think about what he was going to get for Maggie.  
>He did know that she wouldn't quite understand, but he was sure that the others were going to get her something -he'd actually heard Peter going on about it.<br>He folded shirts, pants, socks and such like until he came upon one of his hats. It was a blue one and it shrunk it the wash!  
>Mike raised an eyebrow in confusion. His hats hadn't done that before, and though he did have another blue one, he was a little disappointed.<br>He threw it off into his pile and checked on Maggie, to make sure she was still asleep. When he did a light bulb went off -or went on, rather.

He knew what he was getting for Maggie.

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><p><strong>AN): I'm so sorry I'm late guys. I've been trying to update every day or every two days. And I feel like this chapter isn't as good as the others. I was rushing...  
>But I will try harder this next time. And we only have two chapters to go, along with the Epilogue -making that three more updates.<strong>


	5. The Gig

In the days leading up to Christmas, the guys would drop their Sweet Magnolia at Ms. Wilkes house before they went to their gig and played until about 6 o'clock in the evening. Then they would swing by their baby-sitter's house, pick up Maggie and go home to bed.  
>And, of course, in the late nights, Mike would catch Micky sneaking around the pad; peeking in the closets, the bathroom and even the fridge.<p>

Excitement ran through everyone's veins that fine afternoon. It was Christmas Eve and the last date of the Monkees' gig.  
>The scurried about, making sure they had everything ready to go before they all piled into the Monkeemobile once again.<br>Mike was the first to come out of the pad, carrying his two favorite blondes; a bouncy baby in one arm and his 12 string Gretsch in the other.  
>After putting Maggie safely into Davy's arms, his guitar in the middle of the two front seats, and getting in the driver's seat, the four long-haired weirdos took off.<p>

Mike got out of the GTO with Maggie and a bag of some of her things and hurried up to the door. He knocked and the door came open swiftly.

"Ms. Wilkes." Mike nodded. She smiled and took the baby into her arms.

"Mr. Nesmith."

"Bye-bye, Maggie. I'll see ya later." Mike tickled the baby girl's stomach after putting the bag down on the floor next to Ruthie.

After a few seconds of the Texan standing there his friends began to call his name.

"Oh right!" Mike remembered exactly what he was doing and said good-bye to Maggie once more.

"You know where we are..." He wanted to make sure that the baby-sitter knew and she said she did.

"Alright." Mike gave Maggie a kiss on the cheek before hurrying out, calling out one last 'bye' to Magnolia.

Ruthie Wilkes rolled her eyes in good nature before closing her front door and heading into the house with the baby.

.oOo.

Most of their set was over by the time Lulu quietly requested a few Christmas songs.

Although they knew some, they hadn't practiced on them much. But, Mike did as she asked and told the others what Lulu asked.

They obliged and played a few Christmas hits and old carols. Davy even serenaded the girls in the crowd with 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' by Carla Thomas, ending their last gig.

They thanked everyone and proceeded to pack up their instruments and pile it all into the Monkeemobile.

Mike hurried up the steps to Ms. Wilkes door and knocked once again.

Ruthie answered the door, holding Maggie in her arms.

"Thanks again for watching her." Mike thanked her, handing her the pay. Ruthie Wilkes took the money in one hand and passed Maggie over to her 'cousin' who took her into his arms with a smile.

Ms. Wilkes walked off to get Maggie's bag, leaving Mike with the baby at the door.

"Did you have fun, Maggie?" Mike cooed to the blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby girl. She gurgled and cooed in response, a smile on her face as well.

After getting the bag, Mike thanked the sitter one last time and wished her a Merry Christmas. She returned the gesture, shaking his hand and watched as he went back down the steps, baby and bag in hand.

When the Monkees and Maggie got home they quickly brought everything into the house and rested around for a while.  
>"That was a good gig." Peter smiled pleasantly. Micky nodded in agreement, "It was."<br>Davy was taking over the role of getting Magnolia to go to sleep while Mike was in the shower. He rocked her back and forth and sang softly to her, so he didn't reply.

The four then went up to bed, having had their dinner before shower-time.

"G'night guys."

"Night."

"Night Maggie."

"She's already asleep."

"And?"

"Good Night, guys."

"...night."

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><p><strong>AN): Uh, hi guys. Sorry it took me so darned long.  
>I may have it planned out, but that doesn't mean I work on it regularly. My sincerest apologies.<br>****  
>Anywhotle...Couldn't you just imagine Davy going all deep-voiced, singing that song real slow like? XD<br>Just look it up on the big YT. 'All I Want For Christmas Is You Carla Thomas' worked for me.  
>And also, I was trying to make Mike act sort of fatherly...even in his awkward TV Mike way.<br>So, like it? It's short, yeah. But at least it's something.  
><strong>


	6. Crimble!

"Mike! Mike wake up!" three cheerful voices chorused in the tallest Monkee's ear. Mike rolled over and grumbled in protest.

"Christmas, Mike!" Peter was hopping around the room now. "Christmas!"

"C'mon!" Micky called running out of the bedroom, cheerful as ever. Davy did just the same, "Hurry before we start without you!"

The three piled out of the room and flew down the spiral stairs, each clang waking Mike a little more.

The Texan rolled over once more and sat up. He let his bare feet fall hit the floor and he stood quite slowly.

After grabbing Maggie from her basket -where they found a place to put it, close to Mike's bed- and gently rocking her so she wouldn't cry, Mike sleepily came out of the room and stumbled down the stairs.

"Can't we wait 'til I've woken up?" Mike mumbled, still half-way asleep. He handed Maggie over to Davy before slumping into a chair at their kitchen table.

The other three were just about to beg to start but then thought better of it and decided on breakfast first.

Davy got Maggie's bottle ready -he didn't dare let Peter do it, should he mess something up- and gave the bottle and the baby to Mike.

Micky, Peter and Davy shoveled their breakfast of cornflakes, orange juice and grapefruits down their throats before Maggie had enough time to finish even half of her bottle.

Mike finally gave in after Maggie stopped drinking and they all gathered around the big Christmas tree.

"Alright, Maggie first." Peter grinned and tip-toed over to Mike and Maggie with his hands behind his back.

"Ta-Da!" he presented a little brown teddy bear with a green bow on his neck. "Merry Christmas, Maggie!"

He put it in her arms and she grabbed it by it's arm and shook it a little, now awake after her breakfast bottle. Peter smiled happily, showing off his dimples.

"Alrigh'." Davy then handed Maggie a little box wrapped in red paper. With help from Mike, she had it opened and the gift out.

"See?" Davy grinned. "They're rattles painted to look like my maracas!"

Davy then proceeded to hop over to the bandstand, grab up his pair of maracas and run back over to Maggie and shook them.

She giggled and shook one of her own a little sloppily.

"You've got it!" Davy encouraged. "You'll be as good as me one day!"

This made Peter and Micky laugh and Mike smirk.  
>Micky grabbed the two left over presents for Maggie and put them in front of her. One was a small, strangely shaped object wrapped in brown paper, while the other was a medium-sized box wrapped with the same red paper as Davy's gift.<p>

Micky pushed the big box up first and opened it for the sweet, little Magnolia. Inside was a little bongo drum.

The pulled it out and put it in front of Maggie for her to try out. She lightly put a hand onto it and hit it a few times -causing Micky to cheer- but gave up on it and just rested back into Mike's arms a little more, shaking the teddy.

"She'll play with it eventually." Micky shrugged and put it out of the way. Last was the little object wrapped in brown paper, and it, of course, was the gift from Mike.

"Alright, Maggie." Mike put it into her lap and started to tear it, while the other three Monkees that were gathered 'round 'helped out' as well.

Peter tossed the paper aside and Mike put the gift on her head..

"Mike, your hat!" Micky noticed that it was one of Mike's blue hats.

Mike shrugged, "It shrunk in the wash..."

"It's still too big for her." Davy pointed out, chuckling. Everyone agreed and then proceeded to open the presents from each other.

Peter seemed to get the most interesting gifts for everyone; including an IQ test for himself, a sports coat for Davy, a chemistry set for Micky...and Mike. Well, Mike refused to open his after seeing what his two friends got.

* * *

><p><strong>AN): Oh gosh guys. Sorry this is so short. (Like Davy..? *coughcough*)  
>I'm such a lazy slacker sometimes...<strong>

**But, I thought you guys might like to know that this is the last chapter. Besides the epilogue I'm writing, that is!  
>I hope you guys saw what I did there at the end! ;)<br>And until I have the _very_ last chapter written; Long Live The Monkees! :D**


	7. My Sweet Magnolia  Epilogue

**_Nov. 1968 - 2 years later_**

Mike sat on the little patio in a lawn chair, his guitar in his lap. The sun was setting and there was a cool breeze lightly blowing his dark hair.  
>Davy had taken Maggie down to the beach earlier and they were still out there, still playing in the sand.<br>Mike watched them silently, while he plucked the strings on his guitar idly.

Earlier Mike fiddled with his acoustic a little before hearing something he liked and now he decided to continue it.

After strumming out a few chords and doing a bit of finger picking here and there, he finally had a nice basic sound to go with some words he wrote a few months back.

He started playing the tune again and sang softly to himself...

"_Love to me is blue-eyed and blonde  
>Oh, that's sweet Magnolia<br>Apple pie on the window, still warm  
>That's my sweet Magnolia<em>

_Walking under a sky that's so blue_  
><em>After rain has fallen<em>  
><em>When she's walking so close by my side<em>  
><em>My troubles seem to just run and hide"<em>

He then played around with a few 'la's, 'dee's and 'dum's before singing a little more.

"_Well, walking under a sky that's so blue, yeh  
>After rain has fallen<br>When she's walking so close by my side  
>My troubles seem to just run and hide<em>

_Magnolia Simms is my little doll_  
><em>I can't live without her<em>  
><em>For if she'd go, my world will just fall<em>  
><em>Stay with me, Magnolia, ah-ha"<em>

The song would be a birthday present for her when she got older. His little doll.  
>His Sweet Magnolia.<p> 


End file.
